


Five Days

by missthingsplace



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Gen, M/M, One Shot, Rating: PG13
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-07
Updated: 2014-02-07
Packaged: 2018-01-11 13:19:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1173523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missthingsplace/pseuds/missthingsplace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p> When a deadly virus is stolen from a government facility all hell breaks loose!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Days

 

 

**Title:** Five Days  
 **Author** **:** [](http://missthingsplace.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://missthingsplace.livejournal.com/)**missthingsplace**  
 **Parings/characters:** Jack, Ianto, Harriet Derbyshire, Gerald Carter, Tommy Brockless, Toshiko Sato  
 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Torchwood or Doctor Who or any of the characters ... unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while.  
 **Summary:**  When a deadly virus is stolen from a government facility all hell breaks loose!  
 **Warnings:** A little icky in places, Thrace Warning Level 2, Completely AU  
 **Spoilers:** Anything is fair game for both programmes  
 **Rating:** PG-13  
 **Word Count:** Just over 8000 **  
**

Prologue

Jack almost cried with relief when the hospital finally came into view, he felt like he'd travelled three or four times the actual distance it had taken to reach it, hindered by his ankle which he'd somehow twisted badly at some point but had ignored in his quest to find his lover.

He almost groaned out loud with relief as he burst through the double doors of the hospital entrance,   immediately finding himself stopped by a soldier, who demanded to know if he was there because he was sick from the virus.

“I'm not sick, just let me through, I have to find him,” Jack demanded, yanking his coat sleeve from the soldiers hold and trying to push past him only to find his path barred buy the soldier.

“Find who Sir? Can you give me a name?” The soldier asked. “If you calm down we can help you.”

“Ianto Jones, he has to be here!” Jack stated through gritted teeth while trying to control his anger at being stopped and questioned.  “He just has to be.”

“And what makes you think that Sir?” The soldier asked politely, keeping his own tone calm and even.

“Because this is the last hospital,” Jack's tone was almost at a growl now. “and if he's not then ...”

With that Jack finally broke, tears streamed unhindered down his face and dripped onto the tiled floor and his boots.

“You're military yourself?” The soldier asked, not wanting to upset the man further and having thought of a way to bypass the usual protocol.

“I was,” Jack responded quietly, accepting the paper tissues a nurse handed him and blew his nose before continuing. “I served for ten years, Jack Harkness, former Captain.”

“Then I can assume you are trying to find one of your former servicemen, Captain?” The soldier asked and Jack got his meaning.

“Yes, yes I am,” Jack answered. “we went through a lot together and I heard he was sick.”

“Private Tommy Brockless at your service Sir, if you'd like to follow me we can check the admissions list,” the solder said and led Jack over to the desk where the nurse behind looked like she had been there for hours without a break, her eyes looked at them tiredly while he read the badge pinned to her uniform stating that she was Sister Harriet Derbyshire.

“Sister, would you check the admissions list for a Ianto Jones please,” Tommy asked, giving the woman a smile.

“Just a moment,” she responded and picked up a clipboard, scanning each of the many pages of it before finally finding the name she was searching for. “Yes, here we are. Ianto Jones. He was admitted three days ago in the advanced stages, he's under the care of Doctor Gerald Carter.”

“Advanced stages?” Jack asked, panic flooding his voice. “Is he … can I see him?”

“He's responding well to treatment but is still unconscious,” Harriet replied. “if you're not showing signs of infection now then I can assume that you are immune. Perhaps the sound of a familiar voice will help bring him around. Let me take you to him, thank you Private Brockless.”

“It's Tommy, and your welcome,” Tommy told her and Jack could tell it wasn't the first time he'd said the same thing to the woman.

Harriet came out from behind the desk and gestured to Jack that he should follow her, he tried not to get upset at the sights and sounds he heard while they walked through the corridors of the hospital and when they reach a door at the end of one of them the Sister put her hand on the handle and paused.

“You should brace yourself,” she told him. “he's had a rough time of it.”

Jack nodded and she opened the door, letting him pass her so that he entered first and felt her own tears fill her eyes at the sight of the battered man on the bed before them.

“Was he unconscious when he was brought in?” Jack asked her, not taking his eyes off the man before him lying still in the hospital bed.

“No, he had a relapse while in our care, a heart attack that we believe was an after effect of the car crash he was involved in. But as I stated before, he's stable now. I'll leave the two of you alone, if you need anything, or if he regains consciousness than please press the button,” she said gently and without waiting for an answer left, closing the door quietly behind her.

“Ianto, oh god Ianto,” Jack managed to croak out at he took in the sight of his lover.

The younger man was breathing on his own, which in itself was something but his face was bruised, his lip split and worse both his right leg and left arm were encased in plaster.

“What the hell happened to you?” Jack gasped, pressing a soft kiss to his lovers brow. “I never should have left you alone that day.”

Day One

Upon waking Ianto took a few, long lingering moments to study the sleeping man beside him and knew that he hoped it was the beginning of something good, wonderful even that would see them growing old together.

“Old,” Ianto chuckled to himself, dragging himself out from under the duvet into the cool air of the room and after hurriedly pulling on his dressing gown he made his way through the small flat to start the coffee machine while he showered. “when I was a kid I considered twenty five to be old and I'll be turning that in a few weeks.”

On his way back to the bathroom he popped his head in through the door of the bedroom and wished he could leave Jack to slumber longer but like him, Jack had a job to get to.

“Jack, time to get up,” he called out. “wakey wakey!”

Jack's only response was a low snore as he shifted beneath the duvet and turned over onto his side.

“Jack,” this time Ianto raised his voice a little louder. “the coffee is on, up or I'll tip yours down the sink!”

“Mmmm, eh? What?” Jack mumbled this time in response, turning to lie on his back again.

“Coffee percolating, it should be ready to drink in a couple of minutes,” Ianto replied. “get up now.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jack mumbled, pulling his arms from under the duvet to rub his fists at his eyes in an attempt to wake himself up.

“I'm going to shower, I'll meet you in the kitchen,” Ianto told him and left the room, ignoring Jack's suggestion that he should join him because it meant they would be late for work again and their boss wasn't going to believe the traffic excuse yet again.

Jack slid lazily from the bed and after taking a moment to stretch his naked body he pulled on his own dressing gown, he knew Ianto was right, if they shared the shower it would actually end up taking longer than if they showered separately so he followed the aroma of coffee and made his way straight to the kitchen to pour himself a large mug full and then wandered to the living room to turn on the TV to catch the news.

Sitting down on the sofa he propped his feet up on the coffee table and took a long sip of the coffee, savouring the taste before swallowing and taking a second before it dawned on his just what they were talking about on the TV, reaching for the remote he used it to turn up the volume and listened carefully.

“Last night a person or persons unknown broke into a government building and stole what are believed to be vials of a deadly virus known only by it's number #456,” the newsreader said, more than a little fear in her eyes. “this virus was developed using the small pox virus and mutating it, it was to be used during conflict but had been declared to dangerous and was all destroyed except for the six vials taken.”

Jack continued to listen, horrified as they listed the side effects if inhaled.

“The virus is airborne and if released it could potentially sweep across the country, if not the entire UK within days in the right weather conditions,” the newsreader continued. “the symptoms start with a dry, itchy cough and then progress to nose bleeds within a few days, once it takes hold a red rash, not dissimilar to that of smallpox appears on the body – mostly around the torso and neck – and then things really take a nasty turn for the worst.”

“Ianto, you need to get in here!” Jack called out, hearing his lover emerge from the bathroom and head for the kitchen.

“What's wrong?” Ianto asked, frowning at the look on the other man's face.

“Hang on, shh,” Jack said, hushing him while he took in the rest of the news item.

“vomiting and diarrhoea ravage the body and then the internal organs begin to fail, followed by mental function degrading over the course of the next few days,” the newsreader carried on with the description of the symptoms, her hands visibly shaking the sheet of paper in her hands. “the government are certain they will be able to track down the thieves before they are able to carry out their threats to release the virus here in Cardiff and they recommend that no-one panics and that there is an antidote in case of emergency. On a small positive note it would appear that some people will be naturally immune to this virus.”

“What the hell is all that about?” Ianto asked, dropping down onto the sofa beside Jack and clutching his own coffee mug tightly.

Jack explained briefly what Ianto had missed from the news item, seeing his lovers face react in what he suspected was much the same way his own had.

“But they don't have any idea who's taken these vials?” Ianto asked. “How the hell will they catch them?”

“I guess they have security cameras,” Jack shrugged. “maybe there were stupid enough to get caught on CCTV.”

“I bloody hope so,” Ianto answered, shuddering slightly as if a chill had just made it's way through his whole body.”

“I'm calling work, there's no way I'm going in after that news,” Jack said adamantly and Ianto just nodded silently in agreement, their attention drawn back to the TV screen as the words 'News Flash' filled the screen and another newsreader came into view.

“Reports are coming in from trusted sources that the contents of one of the vials have been released near Cardiff Bay,” the male newsreader informed them. “the government are again appealing to the general public not to panic, just stay at home and be on guard for an symptoms. If you think you maybe developing any of the symptoms mentioned then you should go straight to your nearest hospital with an A & E department where the Army will be on hand to help with administering the antidote.”

“Fucking hell!” Ianto exclaimed, running his hand through his still damp hair. “What do we do?”

“We stay here like they told us, close all the windows and pray that it's either a hoax or we get lucky,” Jack replied, much more calmly that he felt. “and if either of us show any glimpse of a symptom then we head out to Cardiff General Hospital and get that antidote.”

“I need more coffee,” Ianto said in response and without another word left the room to pour himself another mug full while the full impact of what could happen sorted itself out in his head.

Day Two

Jack could hear Ianto coughing hard in the bathroom, he knew his lover had been trying to hide the symptom for the last two days by either claiming that he'd swallowed down the wrong hole or that he just had a frog in his throat and Jack had let him, not wanting to acknowledge to himself that his lover was sick.

“Ianto?” Jack called out his name and then knocked on the bathroom door, trying to handle to find it locked.

“I'll be out in a second Jack,” Ianto called back, followed by another short coughing fit.

“Ianto, we need to get you looked at,” Jack called back through the door, which opened moments later.

“I'm fine Jack, it's nothing,” Ianto told him resolutely. “it's just a cold coming.”

“We both know it isn't Ianto,” Jack said, putting hand on the younger man's arm, intending to comfort him.

“I just swallowed some mouthwash, that's all,” Ianto insisted. “now I don't know about you, but I need a coffee.”

With that Ianto left Jack standing where he was and headed for the kitchen, Jack staring after him. Jack entered the bathroom and closed the door, staring in to the mirror he asked himself in his head how it could he fair that Ianto was getting sick despite them not leaving the house since seeing the news report and he was in fine health, apart from a little tired from lack of sleep.

It was then he spotted the edge of the towel peeking out from the lid of the laundry basket in the reflection in the mirror, the deep red stain on the white towelling as clear as day.

Jack moved fast, ripping the towel from the laundry basket without bothering to lift the lid and gasped loudly at the amount of blood staining the item, already turning from deep red to brown in places where it was beginning to dry.

“Ianto!” Jack yelled, flinging open the bathroom door and running the short distance through the flat to confront his lover, towel in hand and stopped in his tracks when he saw him sat at the small breakfast counter with a wad of bloody kitchen towel balled in his hand, under his nose.

“Tell me honestly Ianto, when did the nose bleeds start?” Jack asked, his arm dropping and letting the towel slip from his fingers to land on the kitchen tiles.

“Today,” Ianto mumbled through the kitchen towel. “I only just reached the bathroom before it began to stream down my face.”

“Please, I beg you, let me take you to the hospital before this gets worse,” Jack pleaded. “they can help you, they'll have the antidote.”

“Will they?” Ianto asked him. “You've seen the news reports, heard the rumours about people going to the hospital and never being seen again, what if they are true, what if they just ...”

“They are not inflicting involuntary euthanasia on people Ianto, I don't believe that for a second,” Jack argued. “they would never get away with it, the uproar it would cause would result in a major uprising, the whole country would be in chaos.”

“I'm not going to the hospital and that's final,” Ianto told him adamantly. “if I'm going to die then I want to do it in my own home.”

“But that's the whole point Ianto, if we get the antidote you won't die,” Jack snapped. “do you think I want to stay here and watch you get sicker and sicker in front of my eyes and not be able to do a damn thing to help you?”

“There's a solution to that Jack, leave!” Ianto growled back, pulling the wad of kitchen towel away to find the flow of blood had stopped, for the moment anyway.

“You know that's not what I mean Ianto,” Jack argued back, raising his voice in frustration at the younger man. “I don't want you to die, full stop.”

“I think it's a given, we just need to accept it,” Ianto sighed resignedly and turned to stare out of the window and down onto the street below, effectively ending the argument.

Day Three

Ianto dragged himself out of the bed and ran for the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet before he vomited violently, his whole body shaking hard as he continued to retch until there was nothing more for his system to purge.

He rested his forehead on the cool toilet seat, hands palm down on the tiles of the floor while he tied to regain his dignity when a sharp pain shot through his stomach and expecting the worse he shot to his feet, dragging his pyjama bottoms down to sit on the toilet seat while his stomach contracted in agony.

“Jack!” Ianto yelled out to his lover, all thoughts of his dignity gone, he felt like shit and was feeling more scared than he had done since the symptoms had begun to appear. “Jack!”

Jack appeared quickly, albeit bleary eyed at the doorway, instantly feeling more awake when he set eyes on his lover, the stench of vomit and diarrhoea filling the room propelling him into action.

Jack turned on the shower and then moved closer to the younger man, trying to keep the horror that filled him from his face as he took in the state of his lover, from the pale clammy hue his skin had taken to the vivid red rash that covered most of his torso.

“Lets get you cleaned up,” Jack said gently, lifting first one of Ianto's feet and pulling off the pyjama bottoms that were pooled around his ankles and then the other. “do you want me to leave while you finish with the toilet?”

“Please,” Ianto answered quietly.

“I'll be back shortly,” Jack assured him and left him to clean himself up as best he could.

Ianto grabbed the toilet roll and used it to clean himself, flushed the toilet twice and was under the cascading water of the shower by the time Jack retuned holding a glass containing a small amount of water and the bottle of pills, placing them on the edge of the sink he stripped off his own pyjama bottoms and got into the shower with his lover.

“I'm sorry,” Ianto murmured, letting Jack take him in his arms and hold him close.

“Don't be sorry for being scared,” Jack sighed. “I should never have fought with you yesterday, if you don't want to leave the flat perhaps I can get the antidote from the hospital for you, use my old RAF connections maybe.”

“Do you think that would work?” Ianto asked hopefully. “At least we would know if the antidote was real and not just a cover up.”

“It's real Ianto, I promise,” Jack said, kissing his soaking wet hair. “and I will do anything and everything in my power to get it for you.”

“I don't want to die Jack, whatever I said yesterday … I don't want to die,” Ianto told him, pressing his head to Jack's chest.

Jack could feel the younger man's sobs through his own body, he just held him tighter, letting the hot water fall over them, hoping it was soothing Ianto in some way until the sobs settled down to a mere shudder and Ianto lifted his head to look at him.

“I love you,” Ianto told him, putting every ounce of emotion that he could muster into the words. “I love you so much and I know I don't say it often enough.”

“We're both guilty of that,” Jack replied softly. “I love you too and as soon as you're back in bed I'm going to get you that antidote, no matter what it takes.”

“Thank you,” Ianto said, giving him a weak smile.

Jack loosened his hold on the younger man and reached for the shower gel, squirting a generous amount on a sponge he used it to gently sponge clean his lover all over and then exited the shower, drying himself quickly before turning off the water and wrapping Ianto in a large towel.

He led him back through to the bedroom and once he was thoroughly dry help him put on a clean pair of pyjama bottoms then settled him back into bed, then returned briefly to the bathroom to fetch the pills and the glass of water.

“Antihistamines for the rash, if it gets itchy,” Jack explained, placing them on the bedside table. “are you in pain, do you need painkillers?”

“A dull ache in my belly now,” Ianto answered. “but nothing like it was.”

“For now I think we should keep you nil by mouth,” Jack suggested. “if you have any of the pills take them with the minimum amount of water, okay?”

“Sure, believe me I don't want to spend time in the bathroom like that again,” Ianto nodded.

“What? You mean you don't like sharing a shower with me?” Jack pouted.

“You idiot!” Ianto responded, giving him a small smile and then yawning widely.

“It took your mind off it for a brief moment,” Jack replied, pressing a gentle kiss to his lovers lips.

“Don't you might catch it,” Ianto protested.

“If I was going to catch it, I would have by now,” Jack told him, pressing the point by kissing him deeper. “rest, I'll be back before you know it.”

“I will,” Ianto agreed and curled up under the duvet while Jack dressed, he was asleep before Jack left.

Jack pulled on his heavy RAF coat and left the flat, running down the short flight of stairs and out into the street before realising he'd left his car keys behind on the small table in the hallway, making a split second decision he decided to leave the car behind and set off at some pace in the direction of the hospital.

Turning into an alleyway to take a short cut he knew he barely got halfway along it then his path was blocked suddenly by three people wearing hoodies, he slowed to a stop intending to charm his way past them then he was aware of movement behind him and he glanced back over his shoulder to see another three behind him.

“Look guys, I don't want any trouble,” he told them. “just let me pass okay?”

“You're not sick?” One of them asked, then began coughing.

“He can't be or he wouldn't have been moving so fast,” another one added and Jack noticed the blood stains down the front of his hoodie.

“Look guys, I'm heading for the hospital, just come with me,” Jack tried to reason with them.

“What, so they can bump us off, not bloody likely,” another said from behind him.

“It's all just a rumour,” Jack sighed. “they really do have the antidote.”

“A rumour you say? Have you heard the other rumour?” Another asked him.

“What's that?” Jack replied, getting agitated at being held up.

“That drinking the blood of someone who's immune can cure you,” the one who had first spoken told him with a grin.

“Oh for gods sake!” Jack exclaimed, moving to push himself past the hoodies only to find himself flat on his face on the ground seconds later while they argued about where to take him before everything went black after one of their boots made contact with his head.

Day Four

Ianto dragged himself back to the bedroom again for what seemed like the hundredth time having vomited up the antihistamines he'd taken barely minutes after swallowing them the first time and then bile thereafter, his stomach still cramping but the diarrhoea seemingly stopped and focused on the alarm clock beside the bed, more than a little surprised to see it was almost nine in the morning.

Jack had been gone almost a whole day.

Ianto could feel the panic beginning to rise within him as he applied the antihistamine cream he'd found in the bathroom cabinet at some point during the day in an attempt to soothe away the itch of the rash.

Wrapping the duvet around his body he slowly made his way to the living room and turned on the TV, finding that every channel was showing news reports on the current situation he watched studiously.

“Since the airports and ferry terminals were closed at the beginning of the out break people have been trying to find any means possible to leave the country,” the newsreader informed him. “but they have discovered this to me impossible, all exit points from the country are being manned by members of the armed forces who have all now been vaccinated against this virus.”

Ianto flicked to another channel.

“It's estimated that approximately forty seven to forty eight percent of the population of the UK have been affected by this virus but the figures could be higher with people not making it to the hospitals in time and the full horror will not be known until this outbreak has been controlled,” the new newsreader said. “the official line from the government facility is that the actual virus has a short life while air born and will be completely dead within thirty six hours, the most important thing now it to locate all the sick and get them on the antidote, it's the only way to control this outbreak completely.”

Ianto changed channels again.

“The reports that drinking the blood of the healthy can cure those with the virus are just rumours, the only way to cure this is to get to hospital and be given the antidote,” another newsreader said. “we have no way in knowing where or how this rumour came from but it needs to be stopped in it's tracks before innocent lives are taken.”

Ianto hit the off button and tossed the remote down onto the sofa beside him, took a moment to get himself together and then crossed the room to the window, a little disturbed to see his lovers car still parked outside.

Taking himself out into the hallway he spotted Jack's keys sat on the small table and knew that the other man must have headed off on foot, but even so he should have returned to the flat hours ago with the antidote.

Going back to the bedroom Ianto dragged on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, ignoring the pains that shot intermittently through his stomach, went back to the hallway and donned his coat before grabbing the keys and carefully heading down the steps.

He wanted more than anything to go in search of Jack but he was thinking more clearly now, he knew the first thing he should do was go to the hospital and get the antidote, that he needed to do this as much for Jack as himself and just prayed that the other man hadn't run into trouble while trying to help him.

The car started easily and he eased the car from it's parking space into the almost deserted street, driving in the direction of the hospital. He was no more than a couple of hundred yards from his destination when he turned a corner and drove straight into the battered cars spread across the road, left from an earlier accident and was thrown straight through the windscreen, into the pile of mangled metal and glass.

Ianto lay there, scared to move in case he'd do himself more harm than good but scared not to just in case he was more badly injured that he care to think about and would die there before anyone would find when when he heard footsteps at a running pace heading towards him.

“Help! Somebody help me!” Ianto yelled out, his voice almost a scream.

“Where are you?” A woman's voice called back from nearby, the footsteps slowing.

“Blue car,” Ianto called back. “somewhere in the middle of this pile.”

“Are you badly hurt?” She asked.

“I think I've broken an arm and a leg, but other than that I don't know,” Ianto told her, trying to stay calm but the panic in his voice giving away how scared he was feeling.

“I'll call an ambulance,” she answered. “don't move.”

The woman did as she said and then spent the next few minutes making small talk with him until the sound of sirens filled the air, the ambulance and the fire engine arriving almost at the same time and waited beside the scene of the accident while the freed him and got him into the ambulance.

“How is he?” She asked, following the stretcher to the vehicle.

“He's going to be okay,” the paramedic told her. “a couple if broken bones and some cuts and scrapes but he's in good shape considering.”

“I have the virus,” Ianto admitted as they lifted the stretcher into the back of the ambulance.

“Then we can treat you for that at the same time,” the paramedic told him calmly. “how far as the sickness progressed?”

“Vomiting and diarrhoea, although the diarrhoea appears to have subsided,” Ianto replied, the morphine that were now administering via a drip into his hand beginning to take effect and make him a little woozy.

“Can I come with him?” The woman who had helped asked.

“Are you a relative?” The paramedic asked her.

“Nope, but his partner is missing and he doesn't have anyone else,” she pleaded. “I just want to make sure he's okay and see if I can locate his partner when I get some more information about him.”

“Okay miss, get in,” the paramedic told her.

“Actually it's Ms Sato, Toshiko Sato” she said with a smile and climbed in.

“Take a seat Ms Sato,” the paramedic replied and closed the doors with a slam.

Toshiko took Ianto's hand in her own, he was barely conscious now and spoke to him.

“What's your name?” She asked.

“Ianto,” he mumbled in reply. “Jones ...”

“And the name of your partner?” She continued.

“Jack … Ja ...” Ianto stuttered to a halt and the morphine did it's job and took over his body.

“Not much to go on,” she said, more to herself than anything else. “but I'll see what I can do.”

With that the ambulance arrived at the hospital, she accompanied him inside and made sure he was transferred to a ward and after promising his sleeping body that she would be back she left and headed back to the wrecked car to try and find out more information about him and his partner to attempt to try and track him down.

Day Five

The cold concrete of the floor seem to permeate through the thin mattress Jack lay on, his arms ached from being tied above his head to a pipe with rope and his whole body felt weak, which was no surprise to him considering what he had been subjected over the last  … well, he didn't actually know but at a guess he'd say it was at least a day since he'd been attacked.

The room he was being held in was more likely a cellar than anything else he assessed, looking about the place in the dim light provided by a tiny window up high on one wall, half the space was full of packing boxes and garden tools.

When he'd first regained consciousness, a little while later, he guessed after being kidnapped he found the youths squirting what he realised was his blood into their mouths via syringes, a practice they had continued on and off for some hours having gagged and restrained him to do so while Jack did his best to suppress the urge to vomit at the sight.

“So, what's so special about you, why aren't you sick?” One of them asked him, when they were finally done, pulling the gag from between his lips..

“If you listened to the news then you'd know that some people appear to be naturally immune,” Jack told them evenly, trying to keep calm in the hope they would free him. “I guess I got lucky, well, maybe.”

“Well, that's just not fair, is it?” Another put in, a young girl who he'd spotted vomiting up the very blood she had drunk not minutes earlier.

“No, that's life for you,” Jack replied, knowing he would have shrugged if he'd been in a position to be able to. “you really believe that ingesting my blood will cure you?”

“That's what they say,” the first one answered.

“How the hell do these rumours begin, let alone spread so fast?” Jack asked, more to himself than the gathered hoodies, who between coughing, spluttering and for some vomiting had now turned to drinking lager from cans. “and do you really think the government could get away with mass euthanasia?”

“It's the government, they get away with stuff all the time,” one of the younger youths put in.

“Look, I promise the antidote is real,” Jack told them. “I was on my way to the hospital when you grabbed me, if I don't get hold of some them my partner is going to die, just let me go and I won't tell a soul.”

“Yeah, like we believe that!” One of them snorted.

“It's true, please,” Jack asked, not afraid to resort to begging.

“Nope, you're not going anywhere mate until we see if this cure works,” one of them smirked.

“Just let me go and I'll make it worth your while,” Jack said, changing tack and trying bribery.

“Oh yeah?” The one who seemed to be the ring leader asked. “How so?”

“I've got money, I'm not rich but I'm doing okay,” Jack answered, thinking fast. “my car, it's an SUV, it's yours.”

“Keys?” The youngest looking asked.

“At home, dammit!” Jack huffed in frustration.

“That's no fucking use to us now, is it!” The young girl snorted, then promptly vomited again.

“Where do you live, we can get them?” Another asked.

“I can't … Ianto's there on his own and sick,” Jack told them.

“We get the car, you get to go free,” the leader told him in a childish sing-song tone. “we won't harm your boyfriend, he'll never even know we were there.”

Jack made a split second decision, he knew that if he gave up his flat keys to them they would probably just take everything of value from the flat but they had no reason to hurt Ianto, he was probably sicker then the lot of them – something he was desperately not trying to think about – and he new he was was more than willing to sacrifice his material belongings for his lovers health and agreed.

“Coat pocket,” Jack told them reluctantly and one of them fumbled in his pockets until the found the keys.

“Address?” He demanded.

“You promise you'll leave Ianto alone?” Jack asked and he nodded so Jack gave him the information.

“Don't go anywhere, we'll be back soon,” he grinned, tossing the keys in the air and then catching them as the rest of the hoodies followed him across the room.

“Wait, we had a deal!” Jack yelled out, tugging at his bonds.

“We'll free you, when we have the car,” one of them called back and then they were gone, leaving Jack to growl loudly in frustration, which was how he now found himself to be left alone.

Wriggling on the mattress Jack managed to get himself into a sitting position beside the pipe, giving him the opportunity to examine it more closely and finding what appeared to be a join, a rusty join a little way along.

He shuffled the foot or so he need to to move himself closer and then yanked at the pipe with the rope that bound him too it, feeling it move very slightly gave him hope and he pulled harder and harder, repeatedly against it until it finally gave way and freed it's hold on him.

With the rope no longer attached to the pipe he was able to pull off the loosened bonds, dropping the rope on the floor he rubbed his hands over each writs, one at a time while he stretched his body a little and then pushed himself up from the mattress.

“Shit!” Jack growled out loud, his ankle complaining as he stood gingerly on it and guessed that he must have twisted it when he was attacked.

Hitching up his trouser leg a little he could see that the ankle was a little swollen but not badly and after releasing the fabric again he hobbled as best he could across the floor to the door, smiling widely when he tried the handle and found it swung open easily. 

“Idiots,” Jack muttered and headed out into the daylight.

Day Six

“Did you call my flat again?” Ianto asked the nurse the instant she entered his room.

“I did, but there was no answer,” she told him. “I left another message, telling him you were in hospital.”

“Where the hell can he be?” Ianto asked her. “He should have arrived back by now and found the first message?”

“I'm sorry, I wish I knew,” the nurse told him, her voice tinged with sadness as she looked at the helpless man.

“I need to get out of here, I'm feeling better already,” Ianto told her. “all I need is for someone to help me get home, so I'm there when he returns.”

“You're not going anywhere until we know the antidote is working property,” she told him sternly. “and even then you'll still feeling weak, what if he doesn't come back and you're left helpless and alone?”

“Don't say that!” Ianto snapped at her, then grabbed at his chest. “Oh god … pain … chest ...”

“I need to crash cart,” the nurse yelled out, dropping the head of the bed so it Ianto lay flat and tossing the pillow to the floor and starting heart compressions.

“What happened?” A voice demanded.

“He just crashed Doctor,” she answered, stopping the compressions and after quickly tilting Ianto's head back and pinching his nose she breathed into his mouth.

“Charging,” another voice announced. “everyone stand back.”

With that she stopped the CPR and moved away while another nurse placed the paddles on his heart and watched his body convulse as the electric charge went through his body.

“Nothing,” she said frantically.

“Let go again,” the doctor instructed.

The paddles were placed on the young man's body once more, it convulsed in the same way and this time the monitors began to give out the reassuring beeps that made them all give a small sigh of relief.

“Redo his bloods, we need to find out what's going on,” the doctor ordered. “and when he's more stable I want him sent for a CT scan.”

“Yes Doctor Carter,” the nurse confirmed, eyes firmly on the monitors as she reached for the necessary equipment to take his blood.

*~*~*

Jack limped across the road towards the flat and half hopped up the stairs, not at all surprised to find the flat door wide open but a little shocked to find nothing missing but the car keys and the spare cash he always left in the small bowl beside their usual spot.

Nothing but Ianto that was, scared he searched the flat for the younger man but found no sign of him, but he noted that were was also no sign of a struggle either.

Feeling deflated he was about to drop down onto the sofa when he noticed the answer machine flashing, alerting him to the fact that he had two messaged and grabbing at the receiver he pressed the button to play them.

“Hospital … he in hospital ...” Jack murmured to himself. “he's alive and safe in hospital.”

With that he went to head out when he realised that the nurse who had left the message hadn't actually stated which hospital Ianto was in, with a growl he replayed both messages to double check and then headed out, limping his way towards the nearest hospital.

“What do you mean he's not here?” Jack asked, trying not to vent his frustration out at the woman on the desk. “This is the nearest hospital, he has to be here?”

“I'm sorry Sir, we don't have anyone of that name,” she repeated. “he must have been taken to St. Margaret’s.”

“But that's the other side of Cardiff?” Jack argued.

“In case you haven't noticed Sir we have a bit of a situation going on at the moment,” she told him haughtily. “we are very busy, he would have been taken to the hospital that was available at the time.”

“Whatever!” Jack huffed, turned on his good heel and stormed, as best he could with a twisted ankle, out of the hospital and back into the street.

Mentally kicking himself for giving up the location of the car and it's keys to the youths that had kidnapped him Jack began the long trek across the city towards the other hospital, by the time it came into view some ninety minutes later he was on the point of exhaustion.

Almost crying with relief Jack pushed his way through the doors of the hospital and into the path of the soldier whole barred his way.

Epilogue

Jack pulled a chair up close to the hospital bed and sat, reaching for one of his lovers hands he held it between both of his own for a few minutes, then lifted it to his lips to place a soft kiss to the knuckles before resting it back on the bed.

“Come back to me Ianto, I can't lose you now,” Jack said softly, not noticing the Doctor enter the room quietly behind him.

“His body just need time to heal,” a voice said, startling Jack a little and turning his head he saw him.

“The nurse, Sister Derbyshire said that he'd had a heart attack,” Jack responded. “what actually happened to him? Was the heart attack because of the virus?”

“He was in a car crash, a woman found him and called an ambulance,” the doctor answered. “he's a very lucky young man. We believe the heart attack was an after effect of the accident but of course the virus having weakened his body would have also exacerbate the situation.”

“Will he need surgery?” Jack asked.

“No, that won't be necessary,” the doctor confirmed. “we've given his blood tests and a CT scan and there is only very minor damage to the heart which we can control with drugs.”

“And he's had the anti virus too?” Jack asked.

“Yes, and he's responding excellently, all we need to do now it wait for him to wake up,” the doctor told him with a smile.

“Can I stay with him?” Jack inquired. “It took me so long to track him down, I can't leave him again now.”

“Unless the nurses need to do anything, then that will be fine,” he answered. “keep talking to him Captain …?”

“Harkness, Jack Harkness. Please, just call me Jack.” Jack told him.

“Very well Jack, I'm Doctor Gerald Carter,” the Doctor replied. “if there's anything else you need to know, just ask the nurses or get them to contact me.”

“I will, thanks,” Jack said, giving the other man a weak smile as he left the room.

*~*~*

Jack could have sworn he heard someone saying his name and realising he had fallen asleep he lifted his head up off the edge of the bed and into the eyes of his lover.

“Jack,” Ianto said, his voice quiet and rasping.

“Ianto, oh my god, Ianto!” Jack gasped out, instantly awake and on his feet. “you scared the hell out of me, I thought I'd lost you forever!”

“Water,” Ianto gasped.

“I'll get the nurse,” Jack told him, unable to see any in the room and pressed the button beside the bed. “don't try and speak, there's plenty of time for that later.”

Ianto nodded, cleared his throat and grimaced at the pain it caused.

“Captain?” Harriet asked, walking into the room, her eyes lighting up a the sight of her patient awake on the bed. “Mr Jones, it's good to see you back with us, how are you feeling?”

“He needs water,” Jack told her. “please.”

“Of course,” she smiled and left only to return almost instantly with a jug of water, a plastic tumbler and a straw.

She poured the water into the tumbler until it was half full and added the straw before handing it to Jack.

“Hold it for him,” Harriet instructed Jack. “and Ianto, sip slowly.”

Jack did as instructed, placing the straw between his lovers lips and held the tumbler until Ianto had finished the drink.

“Thank you,” Ianto told the Sister, his voice already clearer.

“You're heart rate seems normal,” Harriet told Ianto, picking up a thermometer. “I just want to check your temperature.”

Ianto opened his mouth and let her slid the thermometer under his tongue, all of them sitting quietly until she removed it again minutes later, read the reading and then wiped it clean.

“Normal,” she informed him with a bright smile. “how are you feeling?”

“Better than I have in days, what happened to me?” Ianto answered.

“Do you remember the car crash and being brought here?” She asked him and Ianto nodded.

“You had a heart attack, probably a complication of the car crash because your heart was weakened by the virus,” she replied. “luckily the damage to your heart was minimal, you'll just need to take a small dose of a heart drug daily from now on.”

“So … it won't interfere with my normal life?” Ianto asked. “I don't have avoid anything?”

“You should be aware of your diet, healthy eating is good but other than that, no,” she reassured him.

“How long until I can get out of here then?” Ianto asked her.

“You've barely woken Mr Jones,” Harriet replied. “we'll need to keep you in for a couple of days at least, just to keep and eye on your but you'll be free to go then, if you don't suffer any relapses.”

“That's great, could Jack and I have a few minutes alone?” Ianto replied.

“Of course,” she told him with a smile, exited the room and closed the door behind her.

“I'm so sorry Jack, I'm an idiot,” Ianto said, reaching out for his lovers hand. “if I had gone to the hospital when I started showing symptoms then none of this would have happened.”

“It doesn't matter, all that does is that you are alive and well,” Jack told him. “and that you'll be back home with me again in a few days.”

“What happened to you Jack, you didn't come back?” Ianto asked curiously.

“I had a little accident of my own,” Jack told him with a shrug and lifted up his trouser leg to how his lover his swollen ankle “I fell down and knocked myself out.”

“You should get that seen to, get your head checked out,” Ianto told him insistently.

“I will, I promise,” Jack smiled. “but for now, I just want to be by your side.”

“I love you Jack and I promise never to be such an idiot again,” Ianto told him sincerely.

Jack perched on the edge of the bed and bent down to press his lips softly to his lovers, kissing them softly before pulling back a little.

“I love you too,” Jack told him, gazing deeply into the younger man's eyes for what seemed like an eternity before Ianto impatiently lifted his head off the pillow and claimed the Captains lips with his own for another, tender kiss.

The End.


End file.
